How the 'B.C. bail' hurts restaurant owners
It's time to put your money where your mouth is. Restaurants that have been struggling through the pandemic need your support more than ever. If you make a reservation, make sure you show up or give advance noticed to cancel it.
Have you ever heard of the B.C. bail? It's a phrase coined by millennials for bailing out at the last minute.
"The B.C. bail? Now that you say it, it definitely makes sense," said Ben Hunter, regional director for Aburi Restaurants Canada. "Born and bred, I can definitely see that, skating off at the last second. I definitely know that, for myself and a lot of my friends," he said with a chuckle.
It may be OK to bail on your friends but Hunter feels the pain when customers bail on restaurants after making a reservation.
"We staff according to what we know in the day," he said. In addition, they prep accordingly too, which means no-shows and cancellations can lead to food waste.
When a restaurant gets a bunch of no-shows it can greatly affect its bottom line, especially in smaller venues.
"A six top that no shows a restaurant can wipe out an entire night's profit," explained Matt Davis, OpenTable's Canada director.
The online reservation booking website and app has now launched the new "Show-up for Restaurants" campaign. New features include a way for restaurants to tag diners who are habitual no-shows – four strikes in a year and you're out. There are also direct messaging features, notifications and alerts designed to help reduce cancellations and no-shows.
"Give us a heads up. Let us know you're not coming," said Hunter.
Ideally, 24 hours is best.
Some restaurants like Vancouver's L’Abattoir and St. Lawrence are now doing prepaid, prefixed menu bookings. St. Lawrence also charges a $25 cancellation fee per guest and its owner said no-shows dropped dramatically to five per cent.
"Since COVID, where I live we do have cancellation fees," said Katie Yan, who spoke with CTV News while dining at Minami, a popular sushi restaurant in Yaletown.
She lives in London, England, where she says cancellation fees for many restaurants range from £20 to £100. It took a while but she says customers got used to it.
"I just don’t cancel anymore because it's so expensive," Yan said.
"Just being cognizant of the pandemic and its effect on businesses, I try not to," said Kevin Zhou, Katie's dining partner.
Limited seating and social distancing due to the pandemic means a cancellation or no-show has even more impact on a restaurant. Another problem is that many people hedge their bets by making several reservations and then decide at the last minute which one to take.
If you make a commitment, restaurants would really like you to live up to it.
OpenTable is also dealing with vaccination requirements by allowing diners to be tagged as verified for entry once proof of vaccination is shown. That makes it easier to book and get in once you arrive.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
BREAKING Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
'Unacceptable': Trudeau reacts after AFN chief says headdress taken from plane cabin
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Regina police officer injured after being accidentally shot by fellow officer's gun
An investigation is underway after a Regina police officer was accidentally shot by a fellow officer’s gun during the search of a house early Friday morning.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.